This invention relates to classroom furniture in the nature of a student desk.
Conventional student desks include a base that supports a worksurface as well as a seat. Typically, student desks are arranged in a row and column configuration within a classroom. In order to provide collaborative learning, desks can be arranged in clusters in which the worksurfaces of several desks are positioned together and the desk seats are positioned so that the students face each other. Altering the arrangement of the desk within a classroom is often noisy and disruptive, since desks are typically provided with static glides that are not well suited for providing movement of the desks. Such rearrangement of desks can also result in the floor surface being scratched and marred by the desk glides. In addition, the typical construction of student desks makes the desks unwieldy to move when the desks are being rearranged within the classroom.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a student desk that is particularly well suited for use in classrooms in which the desks are movable to different configurations or arrangements within the classroom. It is another object of the invention to provide such a desk which includes adjustment features for adjusting the height of the seat and the worksurface, to accommodate users of different sizes. It is a further object of the invention to provide such a desk which provides ample leg room for the user. Yet another object of the invention is to provide such a desk which is quickly and easily movable from one location to another, yet which is positively maintained in a desired position when the desk is occupied. Yet another object of the invention is to provide such a desk which is easy to handle to facilitate movement of the desk from one position to another.
In accordance with the present invention, a student desk includes a base that is adapted to be supported on a support surface such as a floor. The base includes a front roller arrangement and a rear roller arrangement. An upstanding worksurface support extends upwardly from a forward area of the base, and an upstanding seat support extends upwardly from a rear area of the base. A worksurface is secured to and supported by the worksurface support, and a seat is secured to and supported by the seat support. In a preferred embodiment, the worksurface is engaged with the worksurface Support via an adjustable height worksurface mounting arrangement, which enables the height of the worksurface to be adjusted relative to the support surface. The seat is engaged with the seat support via an adjustable height seat mounting arrangement, which enables the height of the seat to be adjusted relative to the support surface.
The base of the desk preferably includes transversely extending front and rear base members, which are secured to a central axial base member. In a preferred form, the central axial base member and the front and rear transverse base members lie in a common plane that is parallel to the plane of the support surface. The base includes rollers that engage the support surface, to provide easy and quiet movement of the desk on the support surface from one location to another. The rollers may be in the form of casters that are mounted to the ends of the front transverse base member and to the ends of the rear transverse base member. In a preferred form, the rear casters are spring-biased locking casters, which include rollers that are prevented from rotating when a user is sitting on the seat of the desk. In this manner, the position of the desk is maintained when the desk is occupied, and the desk can be quickly and easily moved from one location to another when the desk is unoccupied. In a preferred embodiment, the seat of the desk includes a back which is provided with a handle that can be grasped by a user in order to facilitate movement of the desk from one location to another on the support surface.
Various other features, objects and advantages of the invention will be made apparent from the following description taken together with the drawings.